1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to battery chargers, and more particularly to automobile battery chargers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a car's battery becomes discharged a common remedy is to jumpstart the car and then allow the car's own charging system to recharge the battery. A problem with jumpstarting is that it is a messy and sometimes dangerous operation.
Another alternative is to directly recharge the car's battery with a battery charger connected to a conventional AC power source. This alternative is not practical for most road side or emergency applications.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,305 Russell E. Anglin describes an emergency battery charger which charges a car's discharged battery through its cigarette lighter socket. While Anglin's is a practical and economical, it is not as efficient or as fast charging as it might be since all of the charging current must pass through a current limiting lamp.